Panchitas Bakery

Thank goodness this place is not on the way home from work because I’d be about 100 pounds overweight if that were the case. A solid section of pastries, Mexican sweet breads, cookies, sweet empanadas, cakes and treats at this bakery. It’s open until 9:30 pm each night, so if you had an unsatisfying dinner, this is a great place to visit afterward.
When you enter, grab a tray and a pair of tongs, and challenge yourself to not picking out more than 5 items. We purchased about 12 different treats and paid only $ 7.50. If you like sugar cookies, try the tres colores or the payaso. If you like delicious food in general, do yourself a favor and try the guava empanada. Just do it.

Love this bakery. Forget all the fancy donut bars and get a cake donut (or two) with sprinkles for under a dollar.
I’m serious. The donuts are so good we served them for our daughters birthday party. They have a very good ratio of crispy cake to soft cake to frosting.

Yummy pastries at a great price. I have to admit there is this one item, it looks like a giant powdered snowball that is in two pieces. I love sharing this with my boyfriend. We each take one half of the snow ball, like a wish bone, and pull apart. Then the amount of filling on your side is the amount that you get to eat. I love it. The Mexican wedding cookies were a little hard for my taste. I prefer them softer and more spongy. Otherwise, I always enjoy coming here to try the wide variety of sugary pastries that they have.

The only place I like to go and get bolios this side of the boarder! I’ll make the drive and plan ahead especially if I’m taking a weekend trip to the family cabin and pick up 2 dozen or having company over!

Unassuming solid Mexican bakery in a small strip mall next door to an organic wholefoods type market. After craving for the best tres leches SoCal had to offer, J.S. and I were recommended to check out Panchitas Bakery. «Both my grandma and my mom go to Panchitas for tres leches» said J.S.‘s pastry chef. We knew it had to be legit. After consuming large amounts of carne asada fries at Lolita’s, we stopped by and picked up:
Tres Leches x2
Churros x3
Arroz con Leche
It’s CASH ONLY, folks! The ladies at the register were nice, but didn’t seem to happy to be there. The place wasn’t crowded at 3pm on a Friday. Two other old ladies were shopping around for pastries when we went.
Thoughts? Tres Leches wasn’t as moist or sweet as I had hoped and I feel like they put way too much whip cream and chocolate. Kinda letdown to be honest, so my search continues. If anyone knows of a spot, please message me! Churros were good to snack on, but I felt like they were made the night before. Almost tasted stale. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to taste the arroz con leche as J.S. inhaled it, so I assume it was ¹⁰⁄₁₀ delicious.
Just okay in my book.

I don’t think panchitas is that great. .85cents for a conchita sounds cheap but northgate also sells fresh bread right out the oven 3 for a dollar
People say it’s more about the quality over quantity but honestly the quality isn’t that great. Staff needs to be more friendly they never smile
Oh the bolillos are good with a hot chocolate.

Pretty solid bakery with a great selection of Mexican bread and pastries. I have tried most of their pastries and i have to admit that they are pretty good and the prices are reasonable for a bakery. It seems like they run low on bread during peak hours which is mostly around 7 PM. They are always making fresh bread and at the worse scenario you might have to wait 15 – 20 min. for fresh bread. In my opinion there are a few things about this bakery that gave them the 4 instead of the 5 star. 1. Parking is pretty limited because they share it with krisp Beverages. You might be better off finding street parking. 2. They only take cash.
Besides those two inconvenience the bakery does a great job at making delicious local bread.

Stand-​alone Mexican bakeries are really like no other. I could go to one of the Northgate stores and get some Mexican sweetbread from there but after trying this bakery, it doesn’t compare. They have a wide selection that doesn’t just include Mexican sweetbread (there’s cupcakes, brownies, flan and others). Good prices and friendly people behind the counter. I don’t really have the names of the bread that I got, but everything my wife and I got was delicious. I stole my wife’s brownie and now she won’t let it go… help

I love them! Sugar-​coated doughnuts, coconut macaroons, slices of cake — I love you, Panchitas!
Its great to go in and simply breathe calories, it smells so good. They are friendly and fast and you can leave with a bag full of sweets and only pay a few bucks. So fresh!

A few days ago I was there for lunch and tired their Peruvian chicken burrito and an Empadana. The burrito was simply tasted to bad. The chicken was so dry that it was pure rubbery and it’s as if they had it sitting around under a heat lamp. The other ingredients in the burrito were good… but since the primary protein is the chicken, it crushed the burrito to taste bad. The empadana was ok. Flavors were tasty. Nothing to rave about.
The menu looked very interesting. The place was really slow during lunch time, perhaps that should of been my clue. They had pastries which I was informed they’re baked daily… but what from I saw, they looked dry and old.

I get teased that I’m probably the only one that likes baked goods that «does not» like this place. I’ve tried. and tried… and tried. Yes, 3x! Plus their coffee is blehhh.
So my first time, I was pretty excited. I’ve had Mexican bread and pastries before so I knew that I didn’t dislike ‘em in general. I picked out a few of the typical stuff. I wish I knew the names off the top of my head but in description, I got the round one with the zig-​zag powdered-​like sugar on top that comes in different colors, the pig shaped one, and the glazed. crispy pastry butterfly looking one. I remember walking back and as soon as I flopped myself on the couch, I opened the bag, took my first bite out of one, then one out of the other, then one out of the last one. I frowned as none, I wanted to finish.
Second time, we got there right as they opened. This time I had gotten that round pink and coconut one. How can I go wrong with that? That’s like another staple and I’ve had those before and liked it. The dough was falling apart too much and jelly was too pasty; I wasn’t pleased. Third time, also early morning, This time I tried playing it safe and went with a traditional, chocolate donut. This is when it should be at it’s best cause it just came out of the oven, I thought. It was stale! Man, I just couldn’t catch a break.
What am I picking out that’s not great? What is everyone getting that’s so great?
Whenever I’m down the street I always think… should I, again? Maybe someone who loves this place can give me the goods on what to get. So anyone care to let me know, hey, I’m willing to try!

I’m a little lost, why does this place have 4.5 stars? The baked goods are mediocre, they don’t take cards. I love that it’s a local, mom-​n-​pop/​independent bakery and God knows I wouldn’t complain about sweet stuff in the morning… just that it’s not a very nice place with nice experience and definitely not «really great» food. Come on San Diego, I admit I don’t live there but you must have had better! Maybe it’s an acquired taste? Meh
The prices are very good though.

Best Mexican bakery in San Diego!
I’ve visited Panchitas numerous times since I was little and I love it.
The prices are great for the pan dulce that you get. If you are looking for fresh pan dulce Panchitas is the place to go.
I also love the fact that they’ve kept their prices low– it’s part of the «panadería» experience. Inexpensive baked good with nice service.
I bought about 10 pastries and 6 bolillos for about $ 8! Now, you can’t beat that :) I made carne asana tortas with the bolillos– my bf loved them, you can really taste the difference from others sold a grocery stores.

This place is the place to get authentic, handmade mexican bakery items. They are so good for my taste buds and for my wallet.
FOOD: They are not overwhelmingly sweet so you can avoid the sugar crash later in the day. The donuts are huge and soft. Croissant– looking things are crispy on the top and airy and soft inside. Churros are crunchy outside and soft inside– I did wish it had more cinnamon and sugar though. The coconut macaroon things are amaaazing. If you love coconut, get it!
SERVICE: The employees are friendly and quick, busy bringing out fresh bakery items for you. CASH ONLY!
PRICE: Cheap! Everything ranges from $.50 cents to $ 1.50. They are handmade and this cheap. What are other bakeries charging us for.
BOTTOME LINE: They open at 5:30, food is yummy and there are so many to choose from. You can put everything you want on your tray and not break the bank. Grab a tray and tongs when you walk in and fill it up!

I can’t believe this little gem of a bakery is near my hood and I have never been! Smack me with a bollo! I’ve driven out to Bread & Cie, but this place is not only closer, and for less than the three items I’d buy at B&C, I can get much more here. Everything was fresh and very good, except the mini loaf with walnuts. I thought it was going to be a banana bread. My favorites are the lemon and guava empanadas! Can’t wait to get a cake from here!
One of the best things is that they are open at 5:30 am! Everyday! Cash only! Most of the customers were Hispanic and the cashier spoke to me in Spanish. Good place to practice! Also, there’s no shi-​shi snobs like at B&C. I felt like I was not in San Diego and rediscovering these little hidden gems makes me love SD even more!

Came here because of the great Unilocal reviews & glad I did. Upon entering, I was greeted warmly. They have a large glass window which allows you to watch the bakers at work. I bought a variety of items but just as I was ready to check out, a tray of these yummy smelling rolls were brought out. I bought one and as soon as I got to my car, I tore into it. It was a bundle of yeasty deliciousness. It was filled with melted oaxaca cheese & pickled jalapeños and was scrumptious. There’s something about fresh bread that takes me to an other worldly place. I know I’ll be back.

I happened to be in the area looking for a Mexican-​type bakery and Panchitas was just what I was looking for. I just grabbed a tray and for about $ 6, I was able to snag 2 empanadas, 3 Bollillos, a cookie, and 2 doughnuts. They don’t have a huge selection of doughnuts, but make up for it with the other things that you wouldn’t see at a standard doughnut shop.
For the price and quality of the baked goodies, this place is tough to beat. I’ll definitely be back when in the area again.

A few months ago I spotted a cocada (think: cone-​shaped coconut macaroon) at Extraordinary Desserts and forked over $ 4 for this delectable treat.
Well, I was at Panchitas over the weekend and they have a much smaller version for like 50 cents and it’s probably more authentic. Hmm, ED markup?
In fact Panchitas has a ton of goodies for under $ 1 or just over $ 1. There have got to be at least three dozen different things here. It’s like the Taiwan bakery 85Degrees, except for Mexi-​San Diegans. Or I guess Mexi-SD’ers would say 85Degrees is like Panchitas for Asians…
They even have fresh donuts for 55 cents a piece and they look mighty better than the frozen dough $ 1 versions at Dunkin’ Donuts. The «conchas,» shell-​shaped cookies, seem to be the biggest seller here as I saw a huge freshly baked tray being brought out around 5pm on a Saturday.
I look forward to returning, buying up a ton of treats and become my next office superhero.

Great selection of freshly baked Mexican Pan Dulce and Bolillos. The prices are very reasonable. A good place to go for sampling the different kinds of Pan Dulce. We have gotten deserts there many times for informal get together and parties. We’ve also ordered cakes from them. Everything was done right and on time. Can’t think of a better Mexican Bakery in San Diego.
A tip, cash only here, which is evidently a problem for some reviewers, but not me.

A party without cake is just a meeting.
Julia Child
Delicious crunchy, sugary crust topped with little sugar crystals. Firm yet fluffy bread with a light slightly sweet flavor. The first time we met and I tasted you I knew it was love. How I long for you. They have pale imitations of you at all the chain grocery stores now. The sugary crust and the bread part all lack flavor though. You are a flavor explosion in my mouth unequaled anywhere in San Diego. How I love you my sweet concha.
I’ve spent years wandering through grocery stores and bakeries looking for good pan de muerto. My sneakers are worn but my journey is complete. The pan de muerto here is freshly baked, light, flaky, with a hint of anise and sugar. This is the best I’ve found in San Diego and I’ll be coming back every year to celebrate Dia de Los Muertos with this awesome pan de muerto!
Nice friendly and helpful workers here too.

Casi casi siento como si estuviera en mi rancho en esta panaderia. Lo de la charola de aluminio, con las tenazas y todo ese rollo me hace sentir como si tengo que buscar a mi mama para decirle que tipo de pan quiero. Ooooooh, memories.
In case you have ever wondered how Mexican pastry shops work, here you go… watch and learn — walk in, grab a giant silver tray, a set of tongs and pick your doughey poisons. The bread, as it should be, is baked daily. If you want to go traditional pick the ‘conchas’ (look like turtles) and the cochitos (piggies/​gingerbread pigs) and the buttered rectangular breads. Cook yourself some Ibarra/​Abuelita Mexican hot chocolate (tablet form), dip bread of choice in it, and shove it down your throat. Trust me, its good, dont bitch about the 15 pounds youll gain if you do nothing but sit in front of a computer for 8 hrs a day then go home for another 8 of reality shows and Xbox. If you dont, then ‘provecho’!
Gracias Panchitas, gracias por estas 5 libras de panza que aumente, en serio eh, ahi les mando el bil del gimnasio!